Forensic Science
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Anal. Chem. 1999, 71, 235R-255R Forensic Science T. A. Brettell* Forensic Science Bureau, New Jersey State Police, Box 7068, West Trenton, New Jersey 08625 K. Inman California Department of Justice DNA Laboratory, 626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, California 94710 N. Rudin² 1563 Solano Ave. #506, Berkeley, California 94707 R. Saferstein³ Box 1334, Mount Laurel, New Jersey 08054 Review Contents Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Journal of Forensic Identifica- Drugs and Poisons 235R tion, Forensic Science Review, Analytical Toxicology, Electrophoresis, Ethanol and Volatiles 235R and BioTechniques, as well as Chemical Abstracts Selects: Forensic Cannabinoids 236R Chemistry. Our survey encompasses the period from January 1997 Morphine and Related Narcotics 237R through December 1998. Because of the normal delays in the Cocaine 237R abstraction of journal articles by Chemical Abstracts, some work Amphetamines 238R covering this period will inadvertently be omitted. Hopefully these Barbiturates 239R references will be included in the next biennial review. Benzodiazepines 239R The format selected for this survey divides coverage into three Miscellaneous Drugs and Poisons 239R distinct areas: drug and poisons, forensic DNA analysis, and trace General Procedures 241R Forensic DNA Analysis 242R evidence. Within the scope of each of the areas, articles have been DNA Extraction and Quantitation 242R selected to describe current forensic science practices in analytical Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms 242R chemistry and to outline relevant forensic science research Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms 242R interests. To keep our discussion concise and meaningful, we have Short Tandem Repeats 242R limited our survey to drugs regulated under the United States Gender Identification 243R Controlled Substances Act, ethanol, and common poisons. Fur- AmpliType PM and HLA-DQA1 243R thermore, to eliminate unnecessary duplication of effort, citations Multisystem 243R of articles appearing in Clinical Chemistry, Journal of Pharmaceuti- Mitochondrial DNA Typing 243R cal Sciences, and other pharmaceutical journals have been mini- General Methodology 244R mized. We believe that ample coverage of these journals is Reviews, Cases, and Miscellaneous 244R Trace Evidence 244R provided within the pharmaceutical and clinical chemistry reviews Paint 244R planned for this journal. It is recommended that interested readers Fibers 244R consult these sections in order to obtain a complete survey of Glass 245R the drug-abuse subject. Gunpowder and Primer Residue Detection 245R Petroleum Products 245R DRUGS AND POISONS Explosives 245R Ethanol and Volatiles. The ability of subjects with impaired Fingerprints 245R respiratory function to provide a satisfactory breath sample for Miscellaneous 246R the Alcotest 7410 breath alcohol device (1) and the Breathalyzer Literature Cited 247R 7410-CDN evidential breath alcohol analyzer has been evaluated (2). The recommended standards and procedures of the Canadian It is the aim of this review to present a concise survey of articles Society of Forensic Science Alcohol Test Committee have been appearing in publications that primarily appeal to forensic prac- 3 titioners. To accomplish this objective, we have focused our published ( ). Compressed-gas ethanol breath standards have attention on the following journals: Journal of Forensic Sciences, been compared to wet simulators as calibration standards (4). The Science & Justice, Forensic Science International, Journal of the influence of hypersalivation on breath alcohol was investigated (5). Breath and blood ethanol concentrations were simultaneously ² www.forensicdna.com. Forensic DNA consultant. measured with the Draeger 7110 Mk II from individuals who ³ Forensic science consultant. received 0.8 g of ethanol/kg of body weight combined with 1 g 10.1021/a1990009c CCC: $18.00 © 1999 American Chemical Society Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 71, No. 12, June 15, 1999 235R Published on Web 05/07/1999 of fructose/kg of weight or with 30 mg/kg (6). No differences in has been studied (30). The kinetics of methanol elimination in mouth alcohol elimination patterns were observed with oral alcoholics has been studied (31). A study of rearrests for drunken jewelry when tested on a DataMaster breath test instrument (7). driving in Norway has been reported (32). Drugs and alcohol The effects of asthma inhalers and nasal decongestants on the among suspected impaired drivers in Switzerland has been studied DataMaster were evaluated (8). A study was conducted of potential (33). vapor-phase interferences that could be present on human breath Benzyl alcohol was identified and quantified by GC/mass and also be capable of inducing a false-positive response for spectrometry (GC/MS) in human serum and postmortem blood ethanol on the Intoxilyzer-5000 (9). after derivatization with 4-carbethoxyhexafluorobutyryl chloride Estimation of blood alcohol concentrations after social drinking (34). Commercial products containing diethyl ether were detected has been reported (10). The estimation of time between drinking in the blood of three homicide victims by GC and GC/MS (35). and death from tissue distribution patterns of ethanol has been Headspace GC was used to detect and quantify difluoroethane in studied (11). Concentration-time profiles of ethanol in arterial two traffic fatality victims (36). Trichloroethylene was determined and venous blood and end-expired breath during and after in the blood of victims in forensic cases by GC/ECD (37) and intravenous infusion have been reported (12). The influence of GC/ECD and GC/FT-IR (38). The distribution of toluene in glue the ethanol metabolism was investigated on the concentration of sniffers' biological fluids has been studied by GC and GC/MS ethanol in venous blood using a computer simulation model (13). (39). Headspace GC/FID was used to determine benzene in The blood alcohol level was calculated in women while taking biological fluids of a victim of fatal poisoning (40). Volatiles that into consideration body weight, body height, blood water content, are used and abused as anesthetics have been reviewed (41). and body water content (14). The inhibition of ethanol production Enflurane has been determined in human tissues by GC/MS (42). by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in human blood by sodium fluoride The chemical, toxicity, and pharmacological properties of the has been studied (15). current fluorinated inhalation anesthetics have been surveyed (43). An accurate, automated, simultaneous gas chromatographic An analytical method for the identification of volatile organic headspace measurement of whole blood ethanol and acetaldehyde compounds in blood has been developed using purge-and-trap has been reported (16). Automated headspace gas chromatogra- extraction coupled with GC/FT-IR (44). SPME and GC/MS were phy/flame ionization detection (GC/FID) was used to study the used to confirm volatiles in the investigation of two traffic fatalities stability of ethanol in human whole blood controls (17). Static (45). Literature reports concerning the analysis of occluded headspace sampling and automated solid-phase microextaction solvent as a basis for determining whether cocaine and heroin (SPME) were compared for the determination of blood alcohol samples have a common origin have been reviewed (46). Head- (18). A new procedure has been proposed for the direct deter- space analysis of solvents in cocaine and heroin samples was mination of ethanol in plasma and whole blood using vapor determined by GC/FID and confirmed by GC/MS (47). generation and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) Carboxyhemoglobin levels were determined in two victims of (19). open air carbon monoxide poisoning (48). The interpretation of A comparison of ethanol concentrations in the occipital lobe postmortem carboxyhemoglobin concentrations has been dis- and cerebellum has been reported (20). Ethanol and putrefactive cussed (49). The performance of the Instrumentation Laboratory alcohols were determined in fluids from putrefactive blisters by Inc. IL-682 for the analysis of postmortem blood specimens for GC (21). Ethanol concentrations in the mixed left and right heart carboxyhemoglobin was evaluated (50). blood, urine, and stomach contents of 186 cadavers were analyzed Cannabinoids. A preliminary study of the analysis of can- by GC in order to find the influence of postmortem diffusion of nabis by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with atmo- alcohol from the stomach contents to the heart blood (22). Ethanol spheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectroscopy (APCI- analyses using the synovial fluid of the knee joint as well as blood MS) has been reported (51). GC/MS was used to identify butyl and urine were performed by the pulse heating-gas chromato- cannabinoids in marijuana (52). Unsmoked handrolled cigarettes graphic method in 12 medio-legal autopsy cases (23). A prospec- were analyzed for cannabis resin/cannabis content by thin-layer tive and comprehensive investigation was done on 73 medico- chromatography (TLC) (53). Capillary electrochromatography was legal autopsies of alcoholics (24). The concentration of ethanol used to analyze the cannabinoid content in marijuana and hashish in blood and plasma was determined by headspace GC and the (54). The cannabinoid content was determined by GC/MS of water content of whole blood was determined from the change marijuana samples seized in Greece and its forensic application in weight after desiccation (25). The effect